The present invention is directed to fuel dispensers and more particularly, to a multiple product fuel dispenser that includes a formed door panel on each side thereof, the periphery of which covers the entire safe zone of the fuel dispenser and the face of which has the nozzle boot(s) molded thereinto.
For years gasoline has been dispensed through pumps. Initially, pumps were designed to dispense one type of gasoline therefrom. In more recent years, a new type of gasoline dispensing unit, referred to as a multiple product fuel dispenser, has become prevalent. In a multiple product fuel dispenser, a single housing is used to house several pumps and nozzles, so that various types of gasoline may be dispensed to one or more automobiles parked on either side of the dispenser, no matter which type of gasoline is desired.
The lower portion of a conventional fuel dispenser generally houses several pumps or flow control valves, each of which delivers a prescribed type of gasoline from underground tanks to a fuel dispensing nozzle. The multiple fuel dispenser contains a plurality of nozzles, each connected to one of the pumps for dispensing fuel delivered thereto. Most dispensing units have opposed sides or faces with the nozzles duplicated thereon. Thus a single pump or flow control valve in the lower portion may deliver gasoline to a pair of nozzles, one mounted on each side of the fuel dispenser. When not in use, the nozzles are seated on a nozzle cradle with the nozzle spout received within nozzle boots which serve not only to store the nozzles but also provide a shroud to protect the nozzle spout against the entry of dirt or moisture. The nozzle boots are conventionally fabricated separately as cast metallic structures which are attached to the housing for the lower portion of the fuel dispenser.
A second upper area of the fuel dispensing housing contains the electronics of the system. In the upper area are mounted such customer communication devices as fuel and price indicators, receipt printers, credit card readers, cash note acceptor and storage units, operator key pads and the like. The electronics area is generally isolated from the pump area, because of the dangerous vapors which exist in the pump area. The pump area has become known as the "hazardous zone" while the electronics area has been defined as the "safe zone". Some electronic devices have, in the past, been housed in the hazardous zone. Such devices include the pump motors, solenoids for valves, and other electromechanical devices. When housed in the hazardous area, extreme care has been found necessary that the individual electromechanical devices are enclosed in explosion-proof housings or isolated through the use of intrinsically safe circuitry in order to protect against the hazards of a spark igniting fuel vapors.
The aforementioned electronics have generally been contained in the upper portion or safe zone. The upper portion has been covered by a plurality of removable covers, doors, and/or electronics which are individually bolted or otherwise secured to the frame of the fuel dispenser island. The aforementioned nozzle boots and cradles have conventionally been mounted in front of the hazardous zone. Again the nozzle boots have been in the form of separate metallic castings which are secured to support panels which, in turn, are mounted to the frame of the fuel dispenser housing. Access in general to the electronics has been difficult because of the necessity to first remove a plurality of exterior panels.
An example of such a type of fuel dispenser is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,312 to Swick, Jr. In the Swick patent, it can be seen that the nozzle boots are provided in shrouds which are mounted atop the hazardous zone. The electronics portion is housed within housing 30, and must be substantially disassembled in order to gain access for maintenance, repair, and servicing. As can be seen, the electronics portion is extremely inaccesible to an operator or maintenance personnel.
In applicant's copending application Ser. No. 07/445,466 filed Dec. 4, 1989 and entitled "Gasoline Dispenser with Valve Control Through an Air Gap", there is disclosed a multiple product fuel dispenser for a plurality of nozzles in which a plurality of pumps are housed in a hazardous zone. All of the electronics are housed in an area above the hazardous zone known as the "safe zone", and an air gap provides a vapor barrier to safeguard against electrical addition of gasoline vapors.
Various problems have existed with the above configurations. First of all, the separate fabrication of cover panels, nozzle boots, nozzle cradle seats, and the like is expensive. Conventionally, some of these components are sheet metal which are fabricated to the proper size. Other of the units such as the nozzle boots and cradles are cast from aluminum or zinc, then assembled onto the dispenser island frame.
A second problem arises as a result of the assembly of so many components onto a support frame or superstructure. Such assembly operations require a more complicated supporting frame with cross members extending vertically and horizontally. Mounting flanges must also be provided on each separate component through which screws or like fasteners can extend into the frame members and cross members. As a result, the usable space on the face of the panel covering the safe zone is extremely limited.
Because of a desire on the part of the industry to limit access to the operator as much as possible, the industry now is desirous of a multiple product fuel dispenser which is substantially self-contained. That is, in addition to merely having fuel dispensers, the unit contains a credit card reader, a receipt printer, and even a cash receipt and storage device, as well as conventional customer communication devices such as fuel type and price indicators and lamps. Therefore, space on the cover member(s) of the safe zone is at a premium. Also, along the same line, where the nozzle boots and nozzle cradles are securely attached to the dispenser frame itself, the area therebehind is essentially inaccessible for the location of electronic equipment, because access thereto for the purposes of maintenance is difficult.
Access is also difficult to the other types of electronic equipment in conventional multiple product fuel dispensers because all the electronics is behind panels which are secured in some manner to the dispenser frame. Another problem existent with the assembly of so many individual components onto the fuel dispenser frame is that each item which is secured must be sealed, as the atmosphere within the safe zone must be individually sealed from the atmosphere to protect the sensitive electronics therein.